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The Daughters of Thespius
By age 18, stories of Heracles' strength and bravery had spread around Greece. There was a king Thespius who had 50 daughters (while some of the mythogrophers say they were all by his wife it is more likely that most were with various mistresses). All had reached the age of marriage but no one was a good suitor for any of them. This meant no descendants. Now in his land there was a Lion that was plaguing the area. Thespius heard that Herakles had set out and was coming to slay the beast. This was a solution to two problems. Thespius invited Heracles to stay with his family while he was hunting. That evening pretending to be exceedingly hospital Thespius said to Heracles that while he was there "you may have my eldest daughter Procris as your bedfellow." Heracles took Procris and the two conceived twins, two sons who would later be named Hippeus and Antileon. The next day Heracles was unsuccessful. That evening after dinner he took bedded Procris again, or so he thought. Thespius had sent another one of his daughters to be bedded so that she too might carry a child of the greatest of Greek Heroes and carry a child she would. Heracles having been tired from the hunt all day and made subdued from the evening's meal he did not realize that he was not with Procris but with one of her sisters (possibly half sister). The third evening he was brought pleasure by yet another daughter. This continued and all but one was willing to follow the plan Thespius had laid out she did not wish to be bedded merely so she conceive just so that her father could have yet another grandson whose father was Heracles (especially since he believed he had been coupling with Procris every night). As punishment Thespius would later send her off to be a priestess (priestesses were supposed to be lifelong virgins) because of this her name has been lost (though after he was made a god she would end up a priestess in one of his temples). Aside from her, Herakles unwittingly enjoyed all Thespius' other daughters during his fifty day hunt. As a result of his plan, not only would he have Antileon and Hippeus there would be others; Aeschreis was destined to be the mother of Leucones, Aglaia the mother of Antiades, Anthea was the mother of a child whose name is unknown, Anthippe was the mother of Hippodromus, Antiope was the mother of Alopius. Argele was the Mother of Cleolaus, Asopis was the mother of Mentor, Calametis was the mother of Astybies, Certhe was the mother of Iobes, Chryseis was the mother of Onesippus, Clytippe.was the mother of Eurycapy, Elachia was the mother of Buleus, Eone was the mother of Amestrius, Epilais was the Mother of Astyanax, Erato was the mother of Dynastes, Euboea was mother of Olympos, Eubote was the mother of Eurypylus, Eurybia was the mother of Polylaus, Euryce was the mother of Teleutagoras, Eurypyle was the mother of Archedicus, Eurytele was the mother of Leucippus, Exole was the mother of Erythras, Heliconis was the mother of Phalias, Hesychia was the mother of Oestrobles, Hippo was the mother of Capylus, Hippocrate was the mother of Hippozygus, Iphis was the mother of Celeustanor, Laothoe was the mother of Antiphus, Lyse was the mother of Eumedes, Lysidice was the mother of Teles, Lysippe was the mother of Erasippus, Marse was the mother of Bucolus, Meline was the mother of Laomedon, Menippis was the mother of Entelides, Nice was the mother of Nicodromus, Nicippe was the mother of Antimachus, Olympusa was the mother of Halocrates, Oria was the mother of Laomenes, Panope was the mother of Threpsippas, Patro was the mother of Archemachus, Phyleis was the mother of Tigasis, Praxithea was the mother of Nephus, Pyrippe was the mother of Patroclus, Stratonice was the mother of Atromus, Terpsicrate was the mother of Euryopes, Tiphyse was the mother of Lyncaeus, Toxicrate was the mother of Lycurgus, Xanthis was the mother of Homolippus. In the end the total number of children sired was fifty-one because even though only fourty-nine of the fifty daughter slept with Heracles Thespius was not the only daughter to bear twins, myths tell that the youngest also bore twins and the only child not yet mentioned is Creon. Unfortunately the myth about Thespius's daughter only tell which the oldest and the names of all the daughters who laid with Herakles. Category:Heracles Category:Children of Herakles Category:Myth Category:Lovers of Heracles